Locking means for fuel tank caps



July 11, 1939.

F. ESCHNEIDER LOCKING MEANS FOR FUEL TANK CAPS File d June 10, 1937'Patented July 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Glaim;

This invention relates to locking means for fuel tank caps and has forits object the production of a simple and efiicient locking means forthe closure for a fuel tank of an automobile, or other vehicle, the lockbeing so constructed as to prevent the removal of the cap byunauthorized parties and thereby prevent the syphoning of the gas fromthe tank.

Another object of this invention is the production of a simple andefiicient locking means for automatically looking a cap upon anautomobile or similar vehicle fuel tank and preventing the unauthorizedremoval of the cap through the medium of a remotely controlled lockingdevice.

A further object of this invention is the production of an extremelysimple automatic locking device for a fuel tank cap, the locking devicebeing remotely controlled from the dash of an automobile or similarvehicle, or through the medium of a pedal or other suitable actuatingmeans.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appearthroughout the following specification and claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a conventional fuel tankneck showing the cap in a locked position, a portion of the neck andtank being shown in elevation;

Figure 2v is a top plan View of the cap, a portion of which is brokenaway showing a portion of the tank neck in top plan View;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view of a portion of thetank neck illustrating the locking means for the cap;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of the tank neckand cap showing one of the locking arms engaging the locking device;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a portion ofthe tank neck and cap showing one form of the remote control operatingmeans for actuating the locking device;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view illustrating amodified type of locking device;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a stop tongue carriedby one of the cam flanges for bracing the locking member.

It is a well-known fact that many attempts have been made to provide alocking means for fuel tank caps, but those devices which haveheretofore been perfected have involved complicated structures,expensive to manufacture and in manyinstances difficult to operate. Itis known that prior patents have been issued upon various forms oflocking means for engaging a fuel tank cap requiring a key for releasingthe cap and 5 various forms of locking means have been pro duced forgripping the cap and holding the same in positionupon the neck of thetank. Such devices, however, have been found impractical from acommercial standpoint because of their ex- 10 pense, their lack ofdependability, as well as the cost of installation and maintenance. Forthese reasons, I have devised the very inexpensive, efficientlyoperating and dependable locking device requiring only a minimum numberof parts described as follows:

By referring to the drawing, it will be seen that H) designates thefilling neck of afuel tank H, which filling neck is provided with theconventionalinturned' cam locking flanges l2 which are notched, as atl3, for the purpose of receiving the rigidradially extending lockingarms M which are carried by the under face of the cap I5. Aispringlocking plate H5 is riveted or otherwise secured,'as. at 11., to theinner wall of the neck It! and extends upwardly, and is normallyinclined inwardly toward the center of the neck ID, the upper endunderlying the overhanging cam flange l2, as shown in Figure 1, andbeing normally located adjacent the depending portion of the cam flangeI 2 in the path of movement of the locking arms M. This locking plate Itis formed of spring metal and is so constructed as to normally assumethe position shown in Figure 1 and to extend diagonally across thechannel I8 formed under the cam locking flange I 2. The locking plate I6is provided along one of its side edges with an inwardly pressed socketl 9 near its upper edge and in the path of movement of the locking armsI so that the ends of the locking arms l4 may easily ride over thespring locking plate I6 when the cap I5 is rotated in. a clockwisedirection, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 4. As soon as the lockingarm M which engages the locking plate [6 passes the plate IS, the plateI6 will immediately snap in back of the locking arm I4 which has justridden thereover and prevent the locking arm M from returning in anopposite direction and also prevent the removal of the cap IS. The capI5 is inserted in the conventional manner upon the neck l0 by droppingthe looking arms l4 down through the notches l3 and by rotating the capI5 in a clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 4, thespring nature of the locking plate It as well as the inwardly pressedportion I9 along one edge permitting the locking arm I4 engaging theplate IE to ride thereover and press the locking plate I6 against theinner wall of the neck I until the arm I4 has passed the plate I6 atwhich time the plate IB will assume the position shown in full lines inFigure 4 and prevent the rotation of the cap I and the movement of thearms I4 in a counter-clockwise direction opposite to that as indicatedby the arrow in Figure 4. The locking plate I6 will in this mannerautomatically lock the cap I5 against accidental and unauthorizedremoval from the neck I0.

The far end of each cam locking flange I2 is provided with a dependingstop portion 30 to prevent the locking arms I4 from being forced clearon through to the next notch, when the cap I5 is rotated in a clockwisedirection. A stop tongue 3I is bent inwardly from the lower edge of oneof the flanges I2 or formed in any suitable manner, adjacent the lockingportion or upper end of the locking plate I6, to brace the locking platewhen pressure is brought to bear thereon by the arms I4 when an attemptis made to rotate the cap I5 in a counter-clockwise direction by anunauthorized party while the locking plate I6 is in a locking position.

In order that the locking plate I6 may be released to permit the cap I5to be removed from the neck l0, this locking plate I6 is engaged by apull element 20 in the nature of a cable or other suitable means whichpasses through the side of the neck I0 and through a shielding cable ortube 2|. This pull element 20 may be engaged by any suitable operatingmeans remotely located within the body of the vehicle upon which thedevice is mounted and as illustrated in Figure 7 may be connected to abell crank lever 22 and biased by a spring 25 and anchored, as at 26, tothe body of the vehicle to assist in returning the parts to their normalpositions'after the operating element 24 is released. A felt or othersuitable washer 29 fits around the pull wire 20 between the neck I0 andthe inner end of the shielding cable or tube 2 I to prevent loss ofgasoline which otherwise might leak out through the cable or tube 2|.

In Figure 8 there is shown a modified form of the invention wherein Illadesignates the tank neck to the inner face of which is secured a springlocking plate I6a, the lower end of which is bent upwardly, as indicatedat 21, and terminates in a substantially T-shaped head 28 which issecured to the inner face of the neck Illa, this structure constitutinga slightly modified type of means for securing the locking plate I6a tothe neck Illa. of the tank. A suitable pull element 20a is connect--ed-to the locking plate I6a.

It should be understood that certain detail changes may be employedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention solong as suchchanges fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new is:

A locking device for looking a cap on the filling neck of a gasolinetank and the like, wherein the filling neck is provided with cam flangesand the cap is provided with radially extending arms rigidly connectedto the cap for movement under the cam flanges of the filling neck; saidlocking device including a resilient member fixed at one portion thereofto said neck and having a locking portion normally lying in the path ofmovement of one of said arms and being arranged so as to permit movementof said last mentioned arm thereby when said cap is rotated in a closingdirection, but prevent movement in an opposite direction; a stopengaging said locking portion for bracing the same against pressure fromthe radially extending arms of the capwhen an attempt is made by anunauthorized party to remove the cap by a counter-clockwise rotationwithout releasing the resilient member, and means operable from a remotepoint for moving said locking portion out of its normal position topermit said arm to be moved thereby as said cap is rotated in an openingdirection.

FRED E. SCHNEIDER.

